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A short drive west of New York City, the Poconos region offers the visitor a wide range of outdoor and indoor activities. The 2,400 square miles of terrain in northeast Pennsylvania encompasses mountain terrain, rolling woodlands, numerous waterfalls and 170 miles of rivers. The first hotel was built in the area in 1829; today, the Poconos is revitalizing with new resorts, water parks, performing arts centers and soft adventure outfits.

For Outdoor Adventurers

With 2,400 miles of lakes, rivers, streams and mountains to be explored, the outdoor adventurer won't be bored in the Poconos. Bring or hire a mountain bike and trek through Lehigh Gorge State Park (dcnr.state.pa.us) in the spring when wildflowers are in bloom, or as the leaves change colors in the fall. Canoeing, rafting and kayaking can also be done at the park, where the Lehigh River features class II and III rapids. Local commercial boating outfits can assist new boaters in their rafting adventures. To see the mountains from a bird's-eye view, try your hand at ziplining, with CBK Mountain Adventures (cbkmountainadventures.com) and their 1,000 feet of ziplines. In the winter, the region offers skiing and sledding.

For Nature Lovers

A low-key, but still surprising exploratory vacation awaits the nature-loving family in the Poconos. Camp at one of the region's state or privately owned campgrounds, and plan your days around fishing, hiking and birding. A number of state parks offer hiking trails, including the Appalachian Trail, along the southern border of the Poconos. The Carbon Country Environmental Education Center (carboneec.org) offers courses and activities centering on wilderness survival, wildlife recognition and birding. Anglers will find hundreds of streams and rivers throughout the Poconos to cast their lines, while Lake Wallenpaupauk is stocked with smallmouth bass, giant walleyes, brown trout and striped bass.

Romantic Getaways

Bed and breakfasts offer lovers a way to escape for a weekend of alone time. Nearly 50 inns, from farms to manors to Victorians situated in the center of town, dot the Poconos and carry on a tradition of hosting honeymoons and romantic retreats. Or, book a stay at the Poconos Resort, the only all-adult accommodations in the region. Energize with a couples' massage at Time to Thai Massage (timetothaimassage.com) or get pampered at The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort (shawneeinn.com) with spa treatments before hitting the resort's 27-hole championship golf course. Sleigh rides in the winter encourage lovers to snuggle together and enjoy the snow-capped scenery.

For Families

Stay at a full-service family resort to be entertained with activities for all ages. Resorts like Chestnut Grove (chestnutgrove.com) offer campfire stories, family singalongs and hayrides to go with their pool activities, games and sports. Great Wolf Lodge (greatwolf.com), the newest resort in the Poconos, offers an indoor water park alongside accommodations, restaurants and fireside family story time in the evening. Mountain Springs Lake Resort (mlsresort.com) offers fully furnished cabins sleeping two to six persons, and recreation to include fishing, boating, horseback riding, tennis and cross-country skiing.

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About the Author

Nadia Nygaard has been writing and editing since 2005. She is published in "Farm and Ranch Living" and has edited projects as diverse as grant proposals, medical dissertations and tenant law handbooks. She is a graduate of the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts in English and women's studies.

Leaf Group is a USA TODAY content partner providing general travel information. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.